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Link (Legend of Zelda)
Link is the main protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. He appears in several incarnations over the course of the games, and also features in other Nintendo media, including merchandising comic books and animated series. He is one of Nintendo's main icons and one of the most well-known and popular characters in video game history. He is an ally of Sonic the Hedgehog and Cloud Strife. Appearance Link's physical characteristics fluctuate from game to game, though he usually has light-colored hair (ranging from brown to blonde to orange), blue eyes, and a medium build. Other characters sometimes think of him as handsome. It is unlikely that Link's age exceeds nineteen years at any point in the series thus far. In promotional material for Breath of the Wild, Link wears the Champion's Tunic and a simple pair of Hylian Trousers and does not usually wear head armor in promotional artwork, save for the Hylian Hood in the artwork of him riding on horseback that serves as the basis for the Link (Rider) amiibo. Unusually, Link does not receive a set of Hero's Clothes until much later in the game. In many installments of the series, Link is the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. Several games mention a Triforce mark on Link's left hand, which identifies him either as a chosen hero or the holder of the Triforce of Courage. Teenage incarnations of Link have rather well-built physiques while younger versions of him are at least moderate in size. Surprisingly in Twilight Princess, Link appears to be slightly short for his age, with both Zelda and Midna (in her true form) being clearly taller than him. Interestingly, Link bears a resemblance to Peter Pan, as they are both elf-like, wear green clothing, fight with swords, and are sometimes accompanied by a Fairy. Link also fights his shadow in some games, either Dark Link or Shadow Link, just like Peter. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Legend of Zelda series, has stated that he used Peter Pan as a bit of an inspiration for Link's design in The Legend of Zelda. Personality A peculiarity of Link, as well as other characters, is the several different incarnations of the person throughout the Legend of Zelda series. He is implied to be somewhat sleepy or lazy at first since at some point near the beginning of every game except the first two, Majora's Mask, Oracle games, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, Twilight Princess and Tri Force Heroes, he is sleeping or dozing off. Since Link is not usually shown to speak, his personality is mainly determined by his actions or others' comments about him. Miyamoto has revealed that if Link were to speak it would ruin immersion and that he wants people to feel as if they are Link. Currently only one incarnation of Link was ever shown to speak and it was the Hero's Shade; the regretful Hero of Time. Most incarnations are capable of speaking; in Breath of the Wild, Princess Zelda quotes Link's advice on soothing horses verbatim. Breath of the Wild expands on the reasoning for Link's silence; it is the result of the burden he carries as the chosen hero, and despite his doubts, he silently bears his burden. Mipha's Diary implies that Link's silence began after he was chosen by the Master Sword, as she had known him since he was four years old. It is shown that Link possesses basic characteristics found in a heroic character; bravery, compassion, determination, and wisdom. He would even go as to save others that were his enemies. These characteristics allow him to wield the complete Triforce without a problem. In Breath of the Wild both Mipha and Zelda note that Link can be courageous to the point of recklessness, which Mipha reveals Link has struggled with since childhood. Being dexterous, Link can quickly understand the complex mechanics behind things or figure out an opponent's weakness to use against them. This has proven invaluable in many situations, with both foes and allies alike showing surprise at his ingenuity. Link deeply values his ties with loved ones. His care towards allies has been noted several times, and is considered by some to be one of his greatest strengths. Abilities Link is remarkably proficient with a wide variety of weapons, instruments, and other items, being able to use them immediately upon obtaining them. His preferred weapon of choice though, are swords. In each of his adventures, Link's primary form of combat becomes sword fighting, usually with a shield unless the sword requires two hands to wield or times when he does not have a shield. Most incarnations of Link wield a sword with their left hand, though there are notable exceptions. Notably in Breath of the Wild, Mipha's Diary reveals that at the age of four, Link was already a prodigal swordsman capable of besting grown adult knights. He even trained his childhood friend Bazz in swordsmanship who would later become a Zora Knight Captain assigned to guard the Zora Throne Room. In some of his adventures, Link is shown to have great aptitude with hand-to-hand combat, as well as immense superhuman strength. In Twilight Princess, he is able to best the Gorons in sumo wrestling (albeit while wearing the Iron Boots), and later proves capable of overpowering Ganondorf himself in a sword lock. In Skyward Sword, Link can wield Koloktos's massive sword, and eventually grows powerful enough to best the Demon King Demise in a duel. However, preteen incarnations of Link are usually portrayed as more vulnerable in comparison. In The Wind Waker, when Link loses his sword in the Forsaken Fortress, he must rely on stealth and enemies' weapons to make it through, and will swiftly surrender if spotted by the enemy's searchlights. Later, when facing Ganondorf for the final time in sunken Hyrule, Link is swiftly overwhelmed by him, partially due to being caught by surprise. It is likely though, that all preteen incarnations of Link do have the potential to become as powerful as their older counterparts. A clear example to this comparison would be how Link was unable to defeat Bubble enemies in The Legend of Zelda, yet could do so in the sequel; The Adventure of Link. This can be reasoned as the result of Link maturing in both skill and power with age. Some incarnations of Link know how to use magic, as the ones in The Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, and Breath of the Wild have shown. Category:Characters Category:Anime Characters Category:Game Characters Category:Heroes Category:Allies Of Sonic And Cloud